World's oldest playable organ - Basilique de Valère/Sion - Guy Bovet plays Haydn, Flötenuhrstücke

World's oldest playable organ is assumed to be situated in the Cathedral of Valère above Sion/Sitten in Wallis/Switzerland. Built around 1430, three of its original registers, Superoctave 2', Quint minor 1 ⅔' and Mixture 1' have been preserved originally. With not more than altogether 8 different registers, this gothic organ is suited best for ancient music (try to imagine, how odd a Vierne or Widor would sound on it!) or, as in this case, for the Flötenuhr (flute clocks / organo mecchanico), wherefor Haydn has written several lovely pieces. Guy Bovet plays N° 2,5,12,11 (all C major), N° 18 and 17 (F major), N° 23 in C major again and N° 27 in G major).
1988 Gallo CD-281
A second recording of this organ you will find here: • Paul Hofhaimer (1459-1...

[@benjaminslayton4335]

The world's oldest Heavy Metal!

[@MrDan708]

Listening to an organ this old is like time travel. We're hearing sounds similar to what 15th century church parishioners would've heard. Extraordinary...

[@richardharrold9736]

Not really, almost all 18th century pipework and in 20th century equal temperament...

[@grayrobber]

Mostly sounds like that due to age I imagine. Even with maintenance I’m guessing it still got its fair share of ware and tear

[@marcelobrunorodrigues7630]

It's cool to realize that even these works are very suitable to be performed on this organ. Thanks a lot for posting!

[@koos1981]

Unfortunately this organ was newly built in the original case, so it is not the oldest playable organ. Also it has an equal temperament tuning which historically can't bee correct. Same goes for the free pedal stops like the subbas

[@VinylToVideo]

It's been rebuilt but some of the parts are original including 9 pipes.

[@archangel4597]

thats depressing. they couldve at least kept the original tuning, especially since equal temperament is boring af

[@cowboyninja00]

*be* not bee